Sandgorse's Dream
by MissTournesol
Summary: Please read the prologue before you judge!
1. Prologue

Wow, I'm surprised you bothered with coming this far. Well, I guess I have to mention that I don't own the warriors series, but I'd like to say something else.

Sandgorse is _abusive_ , I don't believe anything different. But me writing about him doesn't mean I agree or condone what he's done. I personally really liked Tallstar's Revenge because of the multiple layers to the plot, and I wanted to explore it more. And I wanted to focus on Sandgorse because I want to believe there's a reason to what he's done and how he's acted. But just because I say 'there might be a reason' doesn't mean I think he's absolved from what he's done. He's still a terrible father, not matter tragic this story gets. Again, my reason =/= my seal of approval.

If you understand and still want to read this, I'm glad! If you read what I said and don't understand still, you can ask me to explain further, or I'm sorry that you're so petty you think I think that Sandgorse is a good character.

* * *

"Sandkit, Dusk-kit, and Dawnkit?" the medicine cat tilted her head.

"W-what's wrong with those names?" the newest queen Daisyfang fretted. Her mate, Ashstripe, pushed past the fluffy medicine cat and glared at her.

"Nothing is wrong with them," he growled defensively.

"Ashstripe! It's Sheep-paw's first kitting, let her be a little nervous," another queen said as she washed herself. Sheep-paw sighed in relief, giving the queen Honeycloud a thankful glance before turning back to the kits, remembering why she was concerned about the names in the first place.

 _Wouldn't Sandkit feel left out? Not only is he the only tom, but his name doesn't match up with theirs._

"Sandkit hasn't made a sound, what a good kit!" Honeycloud purred, "Basilkit, Palekit, and Howlkit are so loud!"

"I-is he still alive?!" Daisyfang exclaimed.

"He's definitely breathing. He's probably thinking," Sheep-paw mentioned.

"Oh look! Look at his paws!"

The tiny kits tiny paws started to move, but before anyone could say anything, Dusk-kit rolled and mewled at him.

"How cute!" Sheep-paw smiled.

"They're perfect, Daisyfang," Ashstripe touched noses with her.

"Thank you, Ashstripe."

* * *

 _Two moons later_

"Sandkit, my tail!" Dawnkit whined.

"S-sorry!" Sandkit stuttered. He bumped right into Basilkit, who fluffed up in shock.

"Hey! You can't mess up my fur today!" Basilkit meowed. He was being groomed for his apprentice ceremony after all! Honeycloud wrapped her tail around the kit and licked his grey head.

"Where's Palekit? And Howlkit?" Sandkit asked.

"They're outside, waiting for Basilkit."

"And I'll be there in a minute!" he scrambled into the clearing, and waited for his father's call.

"Let all cats old enough to hunt gather underneath the tallrock!" Ryestar spoke. The three kits buzzed with excitement. Sandkit watched in amazement. He never knew there were so many cats in Windclan!

"Three of our kits will be apprenticed today, bringing wonderful new life into our clan."

Sandkit's sister Dusk-kit asked aloud, "who do you think they'll be apprenticed to?"

"Shhhh!" Dawnkit whispered.

"Palekit!"

The black and white kitten squeaked.

"I have watched you and your brothers, and I believe you will be happy being a moor runner, as you are sleek and fast. You will be apprenticed to Flailfoot, and be known as Palepaw until you receive your warrior name."

Palepaw bowed, but her tail drooped. Sandkit felt a twinge of sorrow for her as she walked over to her mentor, touching noses with him. Sandkit thought he heard whispers coming from Daisyfang and Honeycloud.

"Howlkit, your strong paws and stubborn personality tell me that you'd do best as a tunneler. You will be apprenticed to Lilywhisker, I hope she will train you well, as you are now Howlpaw."

The big black apprentice hurdled towards his mentor, almost toppling her. She laughed as they touched noses as well.

"And Basilkit. You are a strong young cat, who I believe will do well in the tunnels. As Basilpaw, your mentor will be Flamepelt, I trust he will teach you well."

 _Basilpaw doesn't seem happy either_ Sandkit thought. He watched Basilpaw pad over to his mentor and, avoiding his gaze, touch noses. Sandkit felt such remorse he almost forgot to call out.

"Basilpaw! Howlpaw! Palepaw!" the clan cheered.

"Palepaw! Palepaw!"

"Howlpaw! Howlpaw!"

"Basilpaw! Basilpaw!"

"I can't wait for that to be us!" Duskkit whispered. Dawnkit agreed with a nod. Sandkit curled his tail around his paws.

 _They don't look very happy being apprentices. Do I want to be one too?_ He thought.


	2. Chapter 1

"Palepaw? You look upset," Sandkit meowed. Palepaw nodded.

"It's nothing Sandkit," Palepaw sighed, her long tail brushing against the dirt. It was hard to keep up with her and her strides with her long limbs as Sandkit was much smaller. He was the smallest kit in the nursery in fact, and Palepaw was the tallest.

"Y-you should go with Flailfoot! I think he's setting up a patrol! You'll get to see the borders!"

"Then I might fall into the river and drown, or get attacked by a fox. Honeycloud told me being underground was much better, and I believe her."

"I'm sorry, Palepaw."

"Just leave me alone," she spat, turning into the apprentice's den.

 _Oh, she sleeps here now,_ he thought. Wind started to chill his fur and with a meow Sandgorse started to head back to the nursery.

Once inside, he felt warmed from his ear tips to his claw tips. Daisyfang was so good at weaving the nursery together so the wind wouldn't get in. Sandkit found his sisters play-fighting, battering each other with swift paw strikes. If their claws were sheathed, it would be a much bloodier fight, and that's what bothered Sandkit about it.

"Hey! I want to play!" Sandkit tried to roar like a lion.

Duskkit and Dawnkit looked at each other, and they stuck their tongues out at him. "We don't wanna play with you!" Duskkit sneered.

"Yeah! Toms are stupid!" Dawnkit agreed. Sandkit pouted.

"Daisyfang!" he cried out, running into his mother's soft fur.

"O-oh, they're just teasing, Sandkit," Daisyfang tried to comfort him, "H-hey you two, don't say things like that," her voice wasn't stern enough to make them apologize. Sandkit felt a twinge of annoyance at his mother's lack of sternness. Dawnkit and Duskkit didn't seem to care.

"Daisyfang, what's it like being a moor runner?" he asked. \

She blinked, and then she smiled, "it's very, nice. The breeze against your fur as you glide by in the waves of heather. Prey tastes better with the scent of heather, in my opinion," she explained with a sigh. She missed being on the moor.

"Do you think I'll be a moor runner?"

"I-I don't know, love. Your father is a tunneler, he could sway you if he wants to."

"Palepaw wanted to be a tunneler, and I think Basilkit wanted to be a moor runner."

Daisyfang looked away, "Harestar is getting old, love. I don't think he can determine who should be what anymore."

"You're certainly right!" Honeycloud shouted angrily as she walked into the nursery, "I asked him to switch around their roles but he wouldn't listen!"

"W-well he's been leader for a long time."

"But he's also my mate! He should listen to me!"

"M-m-maybe they'll find that they'll be happier as what they are?" Daisyfang was shaking with anxiety, Sandkit could tell she wanted Honeycloud to go away.

"I doubt it," Honeycloud pushed her way back to her nest and curled up in sleep, whiskers twitching.

"Palepaw and Basilpaw should be focused on being the best warriors they can be, no matter what role they play," Dawnkit mumbled.

"Yeah, but I'm gonna be the best moor runner ever!" Duskkit cheered.

"Nuh-uh! I'm gonna be the best moor runner!"

Sandkit didn't know what he wanted to be, if anything at all.

"Well you'll have to wait four more moons for the day," Ashstripe padded into the nursery, pressing nose on Duskkit's head.

"That's forever from now!" the grey tabby kit whined.

"But by then you two will be fine apprentices, and then you'll be strong warriors."

"What about me, Ashstripe?" Sandkit asked.

"Oh! Um, you too, Sandkit," Ashstripe didn't look him in the eye. What did he do wrong?

"Hey, Dawnkit, Duskkit, you two should follow me, I want to show you something," Ashstripe flicked his tail to the exit. The two kits scrambled after their father, and Sandkit stayed behind. He bet Ashstripe was showing them the tunnels and teaching them how to dig. He looked at Daisyfang, who had fallen asleep, probably before Ashstripe showed up. The tiny kit was hurt by his father's exclusion of him.

"He probably wouldn't like it if I didn't become an apprentice either." Sandkit nodded, then I'll be the best apprentice ever! And I'll be a tunneler too!" he whispered excitedly.


	3. Chapter 2

Four moons have passed and Sandkit would now find himself the subject to stares and the overhearer of hushed conversation.

"He's so quiet and calm, nothing like his sisters."

"He has no curiosity, no friends his age."

"Little thing probably won't grow much bigger than a hare."

"I can't tell whether or not he'd be a runner or a tunneler, neither seem to interest him."

Sandkit wondered if other clans had roles like his, and there were other kits who would feel the same way. It all made him nervous, and confused. He decided he would go see Palepaw, who wasn't doing much better.

"No, no, no! You're not keeping low!" Flailfoot stomped his paw. "The prey and our enemies will see you! You're too tall!"

Palepaw grumbled as she ducked even lower, uncomfortable rubbing her stomach against the ground. Sandkit liked to watch her and her graceful movements, though she wasn't very graceful now. He saw Basilpaw walking towards him, and he greeted him with a friendly hello.

"I hate the tunnels!" he shouted, shaking his fur free of dust and dirt like a dog. Sandkit coughed and shut his eyes at the sudden barrage of earth.

"I'm sorry to hear that, Basilpaw."

"I'm sorry too," Basilpaw washed his paw clean, revealing his normal grey color. _There was that much dirt on his coat?_ Sandkit's nose wrinkled at the thought.

"Sandkit! Come here!" Ashstripe called. Sandkit felt excitement spark in his chest, his father would always take his sisters out to explore, was it his turn!?

"You'll be apprenticed any day now, are you excited?"

Sandkit glanced back at Palepaw, remembered his worries, but nodded anyways.

"Good. Let me tell you, I may be a tunneler, but your sisters are so fast, they'll probably outpace me in a moon!"Sandkit nodded again. "What would you like to be, Sandkit?" his father asked cheerfully.

"Oh, um. I don't know."

Ashstripe frowned, "surely something must interest you?"

"What's it like tunneling?" Sandkit blurted out to change the subject. Ashstripe's eyes widened, but his smiled in return.

"The tunnels are, to me, a quiet place to think. It's strategic, and sensitive, like Daisyfang. Her softness and sensitivity remind me of the tunnels, and they're like a second home to me," The dark tabby tom recalled fondly. "It's very difficult to convince such free cats as moor runners to settle with tunnelers like myself, but it's worth it."

Sandkit didn't quite understand, but he nodded for a third time anyways. Love was strange.

"No matter who you are in this clan, you will always be my Sandkit, then Sandpaw, then who knows? Maybe you'll be Sandstar!" Ashstripe pressed his nose into his son's head, making him giggle.

"Sandkit, I'm sorry for excluding you. I never thought you were very interested in anything, you seemed happy with your mother in the nursery. I'm sorry."

What a strange thing to hear from such an older cat, but Sandkit readily accepted it.

He scrambled back to the nursery to find Daisyfang, he was overjoyed. All the four moons of odd treatment from his clanmates seemed to have washed away with his father's kind words.

"Daisyfang! Daisyfang! Guess what? I-"

What?

Why was Daisyfang like that?

"D-D-Daisyf-fa-" little Sandkit stammered, reaching a quivering paw to her. She was still, with a deep crimson gash on her neck, staining her cream colored fur red.

"DAISYFANG! WHAT'S WRONG?" Sandkit cried. His father pushed through the nursery only to take several steps back.

"S-SOMEONE! CALL FOR THREELEAF!" he cried. The aforementioned medicine cat tore out from the nursery at the call. "HELP HER!" Ashstripe quivered in fear. Sandkit looked up at his fearful father. He saw his sisters scrambling towards the nest.

Threeleaf stared wide eyed, there was clearly nothing he could do.

"Ashstripe, I don't know what to do, Starclan has already claimed her."

"NO! THEY COULDN'T HAVE! THEY WOULDN'T DARE!" Ashstripe's cries of anguish startled the other clanmates. "DAISYFANG! DAISYFANG!" he dug his claws into the earth.

Threeleaf inspected the injury, "Someone has killed Daisyfang!" he declared. Ashstripe snapped up.

"WHO DARED?!" he yowled, bristling with rage.

"Ashstripe, calm down, you're-" Ryestar began. The tom didn't listen as he shot off into the heather, pushing past Mistmouse and Redclaw. "Honeycloud, Shrewtail, take her body to be buried."

"What's happened to Daisyfang?" Dawnkit exclaimed.

Ryestar looked down at the kit, "I'm so sorry, little one. She has gone to join her ancestors."

"A-Ashstripe?" Sandkit trembled, wishing his mother would come around and wrap her fluffy tail around him and tell him everything was alright.

But she didn't come.


	4. Chapter 3

**Sorry about the lack of updates! there were some complications with logging in, and school and whatnot, but here's two chapters! Albeit they're short but I think you'll like them!**

"Heatherfall, I want you and Threeleaf to investigate this before we bury her. Redclaw, Plumpaw, I want you two to go get Ashstripe." The deputy and medicine cat nodded and started to sniff at the body.

"She smells like RiverClan!" Heatherfall exclaimed. Threeleaf touched his nose to Daisyfang's paw pad, noticing the dark gray fur on it.

"There was a struggle, and she has a little blood on her paw. There are deep claw marks at her stomach and neck," Threeleaf muttered gravely.

"Those frog-hearts!" Honeycloud spat, her yellow eyes glistening with rage and claws digging up the earth.

"Lilywhisker, Flamepelt, and Flailfoot, I want you three and your apprentices to come with me to visit RiverClan and question them," Ryestar's voice was stern. Flailfoot called for his apprentice and her siblings, who all came running out of their den. Palepaw's eyes widened.

"Sandkit, I'm so sorry."

Sandkit looked up at his leader, trembling in fear. Dawnkit and Duskkit were huddling close, keeping each other from crying too much.

"W-we want to come with you!" Sandkit declared. His sisters stared at him. Ryestar looked down at the little kit. "We're six moons old, we can keep up!"

"You're still –kits. I understand you want to help us and avenge your mother, but let us handle it. Stay with Honeycloud."

"But-"

"Do not argue with me! You will be apprenticed tomorrow!"

Sandkit fluffed up as his clan's sudden gathering dissolved, the patrol sent to speak to RiverClan darting into the heather. He noticed Sheepberry had come around as her fluffy tail had wrapped around him. She licked his head.

"I will visit your mother in StarClan, Sandkit, do not worry. She's never left you."

"Then where is she?" Sandkit's voice tore, "why can't she be here with me?"

"Our ancestors had called for her."

"But why did she have to listen?!" he cried out.

"StarClan works in mysterious ways, but we respect them all the same."

 _Well I don't_ Sandkit thought bitterly. Sheepberry left to speak to her mentor. The kit growled, and using his not so stubby legs anymore, started to run in the same direction as the patrol. Rage urged his paws on. The high flowers slapped in his face, as if they were punishing him for leaving the territory. He didn't know where to go, and he didn't have a clear scent of RiverClan cats, but he didn't care. Blood roared in his ears and it pressed him to keep running, eventually finding himself at the river. Sandkit didn't know how to swim, but he hopped into the water anyways, paddling as much as he could. He got tired very quickly, but he knew if he stopped he could die. The water started to overwhelm him, it washed into his mouth and his ears. It swept him over and Sandkit's skull hit the riverbed. Before he went under he shouted.

"STARCLAN HELP ME!"


	5. Chapter 4

Sandkit woke up and found himself staring up at a calico cat.

"You're from WindClan, aren't you little one?" she spoke with a soft voice. Sandkit coughed and stood up, spitting up water. The calico cat placed a paw on the back of his neck.

"Who, who are you?" Sandkit's voice sounded different in his head, it was much deeper.

"I am Cherryflower, RiverClan's medicine cat. You're very lucky little one. If my apprentice didn't find you, you could have died. What is your name?"

"S-Sandkit."

"Kit? Little one what are you doing here?" Cherryflower gasped, "you must be Ashstripe's kit."

"How do you know him?" Sandkit sprung back.

"Please come with me," Cherryflower's tail gently pushed the kit forward so he could see what was going on. There were dozens of cats in the campsite, and they practically surrounded the WindClan patrol

"Hailstar, you cannot let them continue with these accusations!" a tom shouted. The young leader's nose twitched; he was new, the old leader had only died a season ago, and Hailstar never had to deal with this complicated a situation before.

"Ryestar, I've been made aware that you've been making terrible decisions in your old age recently, do not let a fight be one of them. Your accusations are worthless, as there are many dark coated cats in this clan, including myself and my deputy. Are you really going to question them all?" there was a rumble in his throat.

"We will if we have to, you rabbit-hearted fool!" Ryestar spat, "Call all of your dark gray warriors out at once!"

"Fine. Beetletail, Cindernose, Ivystream, Tanglewhisker, Crowpaw, and Shimmerpelt, you all are wanted in the clearing!"

The cats appeared in front of the ledge Hailstar stood on, sitting in one line. Crowpaw was no bigger than Sandkit.

"What is the meaning of this? I've never been to WindClan territory, and I'll never go after this either!" Cindernose meowed angrily.

"Have any of you spoken to a warrior named Daisyfang during gatherings? Came across her on the battlefield? Patrols crossing each other?"

"I met the she-cat during a gathering, she was incredibly nervous, and swollen with kits." Shimmerpelt recounted.

"I never saw her!" Crowpaw shouted.

"She gave me this scar," Ivystream showed off the old wound on her shoulder, " moons ago, but I haven't seen her since."

The rest had never seen her or never acknowledged her. Ryestar was furious.

"One of you is a liar! Where is your deputy!?"

"How dare you accuse us of lying!" Beetletail spat. "She's being treated for an injury, she has nothing to do with this!"

"How dare one of you lie!?" Flailfoot was butting heads with the black RiverClan. "We've lost one of our warriors and we found the dark gray fur of a RiverClan warrior between her claws!" both cats were hissing and growling.

Cherryflower's ear twitched, "Smokewater came in with an injury on her chest, it looked like claw marks…" she mumbled, Sandkit looked up at the medicine cat, whose tail fluffed up in horror.

"BRAMBLEPAW! COME OUT HERE AT ONCE!" she shouted. The apprentice came running, with the deputy following suit.

Smokewater tilted her head, "Cherryflower, what's wrong? You sound—"

"IT WAS YOU!" Cherryflower shouted in dismay, "YOU KILLED DAISYFANG!"


	6. Chapter 5

Cherryflower was distraught, but Sandkit didn't understand why. The medicine cat left the kit's side to confront the she-cat, who hadn't moved an inch. The clan and the patrol were silent. "You told me you didn't care for her anymore, and the only one in your heart was me," the medicine cat ducked her head for a second before looking up at Smokewater again, "why did you lie to me?" she choked out.

"Smokewater, is there something you and Cherryflower want to explain?" Hailstar gave his deputy a steely gaze. She clenched her teeth.

"I loved Daisyfang, more than I could ever care for Cherryflower," Smokewater began, "And she rejected me, she rejected me for some idiot tom who was loud and arrogant and harsh! She could never really care for someone like that, but she rejected me anyways!" Smokewater shook her head vigorously.

"What?" Cherryflower mewed.

"Then she had kits with him. She had kits! I couldn't stand it! I had to do it, none of you would understand!" Smokewater unsheathed her claws. Sandkit felt ice accumulate in his chest; he was one of those kits.

"Smokewater, how could you do something like this?" Hailstar meowed, "You cannot kill simply because you are hurting."

"Is that all you're going to say?" Lilywhisker continued.

"Enough of this!" Ryestar lunged at the RiverClan deputy before she could hurt anyone else, which set the rest of RiverClan into action, and the WindClan patrol met them with just the same fury.

Sandkit was trembling at the sight of the battle. Blood spilled, cats yowled, and the night was torn up with rage. The kit looked side to side, trying to find somewhere to hide, but he didn't know how the clan was set up, he couldn't tell what was an apprentices den and what was the nursery.

"You've murdered one of our own!"Ryestar cried.

"You wouldn't understand what it's like to be rejected, you fish-heart! I've killed and I'll do it again!" Smokewater raked a claw against the leader's cheek and pushed him away. He landed on his back, gasping for air before he saw the deputy's paw above him, ready to destroy him, and it would've if Flailfoot hadn't shoved her off.

Ryestar stared at the situation before him and realized what he had to do,

"WINDCLAN, RETREAT!"

Sandkit jumped as he saw his clanmates dart away.

"Sandkit!" a voice cried. The ginger kit saw Palepaw running towards him, but she was knocked down by Crowpaw, who sent them barreling into the kit. He flailed about wildly with unsheathed claws, scratching and raking at what he hoped was the RiverClan apprentice.

"Together, Sandkit!"

Sandkit nodded, and he brought down his tiny paws onto the apprentice before him, who was growing weaker and weaker.

"Stop it! No more! No more!" Crowpaw cried out, making the kit reel back. The WindClan apprentice stopped and realized what she had been doing, and she started to tremble, stalking away. Sandkit hurried himself back home without thinking. Now he could thankfully follow his clanmates home, but as he ran he couldn't stop thinking about what happened. Love made Smokewater do what she did? It made her kill his mother?! What would happen when he fell in love?! What if it wasn't just love with other cats, but with anything!? He was scared beyond all belief about the thought of him becoming violent.

Sandkit was finally home, finally able to rest his aching head. He sniffed around, looking for his sisters, and he smelled the night air. How late was it? The moon was only a faint claw; it must've been close to day.

"Sandkit! Sandkit!" his ear pricked as he heard his sister Dawnkit's voice. He turned to face her, and she stopped running towards him.

He was breathing heavily, teeth bared, fluffed up, with spats of blood on him. He looked as ferocious as a lion; and it scared Dawnkit.

"Are you—, are you alright?" she mewed fearfully.

"Yeah, what's wrong?" he sat down.

Dawnkit looked down, "well."

"I'm sorrry, that's a bad question to ask," he remembered what had happened, and all of his sadness came crashing back like forceful river water. "D-did Ashstripe come back?"

Dawnkit nodded, "Dusk-kit is with him now, but I- I don't know."

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey come here!" Ryestar called. The clan started to gather, with Honeycloud rushing past to check on her kits, worrying over them and licking them all. The only one who didn't look hurt was Howlpaw.

"We challenged RiverClan tonight, and soon we will win for the glory of our clan!" he was breathing heavily, and the clan cheered. "Threeleaf! Sheepberry!"

The two medicine cats nodded up at the leader.

"How is the herb stock?"

"It's plentiful; newleaf has been good to us."

"Good," Ryestar saw Ashstripe in the crowd, "Ashstripe!" The grey warrior looked up, "I want you to get revenge on Daisyfang, I am entrusting you with this."

"I will make them pay."

"And finally, Sandkit, Dusk-kit, and Dawnkit! Come here!"

The three kits grouped together in the center of the clan gathering.

"You will now be known as Sandpaw, Duskpaw, and Dawnpaw. Sandpaw, you will be a tunneler, and those two will be moor runners," Ryestar was making less and less sense. Sandpaw wanted to be happy about being an apprentice, but he couldn't bring himself to even smile. He was anxious about what was going to happen next. The leader was spitting up foam. Of course, he was getting angry over the death of his only child.

"WE ATTACK AT DAWN!" the leader cried, "SANDPAW, DUSKPAW, DAWNPAW!"

The clan sounded like it was roaring. Sandpaw just wanted to disappear.

But there was nowhere to go, and nowhere to hide.

Suddenly, "RiverClan, _attack!_ "

Horror froze the apprentice to his spot,

 _An ambush!_


End file.
